Hi Sameer,
I know it can be disheartening when you’re in the situation and people are securing things and moving on in life - but look at it from the perspective of an outside observer for one minute. There’s victory and courage in not settling for less but instead getting what you want - and trust me, you will get what you want. Never let the doubt of others allow you to create self-doubt - it’s crazy what boundaries inner confidence can overcome.
I am now about to start my TC at a MC firm, and it took me a while to say the least with many ups and downs and many ‘i’ve moved on’s. My main barrier was that in uni during first and second year I got down-right awful grades (some of this was due to extenuating circumstances and some of it was my own fault).
I come from what some might call an “underprivileged” background, with no contacts and no insight into the industry or the path or the model to follow. Luckily I got all A’s during A levels from my state school (maybe a miracle more than luck now that I think about that school). But my uni grades were bad, however I managed to pull them up during third year and scrape a 2.1.
After graduating I wasn’t too stuck on getting into corporate law, my obsession was gradual. I applied after graduating only because it seemed logical. I got straight rejections (I tried to sell the story that as I got good in A levels and in my third year - the grades in my first years at uni were an anomaly; they didn’t buy it). They also seemed not to care about mitigating circumstances. I guess those rejections were as a result of just beginning my applications journey (drafting great app’s is actually an art) and my low grades.
I didn’t care too much, and my mind was on other pursuits/projects. But it was when friends and family started doubting me that I thought, wait, how can they think I can’t do this. I always think there’s a way - and when my mind gets on to something that’s it my life becomes about that. I knew I had to stand out and do something bold (I had no work experience in law), so I started networking with partners (either at events or simply reaching out to them on their emails which I got from websites). Through this I got work experience at a great US firm - nice points for my CV. But it still didn’t help with TC applications. During this time I was working in other places.
As I went deeper into understanding the corporate and commercial world, my interest developed in emerging markets and private equity. So I reached out to an alumnus of my uni as he was working in this space (i found him through an online search). We met and he was starting a corporate finance firm doing introductions between African corporates wanting to raise money and international investors with an appetite for risk. I ended up joining this small group of professionals with an entrepreneurial streak - even though they had no money to pay me apart from lunch and travel (they had 0 revenues for a long time - the business of dealmaking is one that takes a lot of groundwork, which is even harder when starting up in this area, and after that work you may get one deal after months/years that makes you enough money for years to come). So there I was, for one year working for no money - others thought I was crazy. But where they saw time-wasting I saw opportunity - opportunity to learn, opportunity to maybe network with more law partners and worm my way into recommendations from these partners when giving in my app’s, opportunity to learn about an exciting industry and show off my skills in the TC app’s, or opporunity to stay on at this firm and make more money than lawyers if it so went.
I learnt so much from this place, I went to important meetings that i’d never be allowed in on but as the team was so small I was given more responsibility - but more than that I think they took pity on the fact that I wasn’t earning any money and also not being given any equity in their business. So their currency for me was what I could learn there. And I took it all in.
During this time it so happened that my colleagues there needed advice on expanding their business into something new, and I knew a partner at a law firm (who I got to know through my networking) who worked in this area. I knew that this was my chance. I connected the two parties for a meeting, and the partner was so impressed after the meeting. He saw my potential. My introduction helped me to overcome my grades issue, and got my application passed the screening level so that I had an interview. But I had to do well on that interview, on the vac scheme and on the TC interview. Voila - that’s most of my story but i’ve also left a lot out as this is now becoming an essay.
This is not to show off, but to show you that there is always a way. It took me a few years, but I am so grateful that I didn’t get my TC after graduating and didn’t become a ‘new grad’ in a ‘new bubble’. My experience has made me more worldly, I understand the world a lot more and all the opportunities on offer - and I made the decision to go in to law and accept the TC for personal reasons- but I could have easily said no and had to contemplate a lot before accepting the offer - because when you understand the world and all opportunities on offer, choices become tougher. I also learned a lot about myself and developed a lot, skills that I wouldn’t even gain in a law firm (I also worked in sales at some point in this process - something I recommend everyone does at least once in their lives).
If you want a TC at corporate law firm, my concluding advice is to be creative and bold. And live your life, work in sales, work in crazy things and understand the world and yourself - you may realise that law is not the glamorous industry you thought it was, or you might think it is the place you want to be, or you may realise that it’s not the best place to be but for your larger ambitions it’s right for now. Keep going, don’t give up, if you want it you can get it - you just need to think outside the box. If I can get it then anyone can.
